Learning from the iTEAMS campers...and living what we believe

One of the ways I give back to the community is by serving on the board of directors of the SC Governor's School for Science and Math (GSSM).

GSSM is important to the state -- and to Blackbaud -- because it invests in the kids who will one day (soon) lead our workforce.  The school is a public, residential program for 11th and 12th graders and boasts amazing results.  Just this year, the 56 graduating seniors earned more than $10.5 million in scholarship offers and are headed to an array of schools, including Harvard, Yale, Duke, Emory and Vanderbilt.

But the faculty and staff don't just focus on high schoolers.  They also do whatever they can to identify middle schoolers with a passion for math and science, cultivating them early on.  Last week, thanks to the generosity of the folks at Google (thanks Eric, Jeff and team!), which has a data center in Goose Creek, SC, the school hosted something called iTEAMS -- or Innovation, Technology, Entrepreneurship Among Middle Schools.

iTeams was a week-long camp attended by 42 Berkeley County middle school students with an interest in math or science.  The students were grouped into teams and given challenges to tackle, culminating in presentations to their fellow students, parents and members of the community during the camp's closing ceremonies.

I had the pleasure of serving on a career panel mid-week -- along with representatives from ATD, Dupont and Alcoa -- sharing the Blackbaud story and helping the campers understand how they might head toward a career at a technology company (maybe even right here on Daniel Island).  Then I returned on Friday to share in the capstone presentations.  They weren't only good.  They were relevant and left me inspired to keep making the kind of change in my own life that I believe in but don't always act upon.

When I walked in the door, a team of kids were up front, presenting on how a family could make the move to a greener lifestyle.  I happen to know a decent amount about this topic because my own family is heading in that direction.  I'd driven to Monck's Corner that day in our new Prius (which replaced a much larger vehicle that, well, wasn't all that good for the world) and am thoroughly enjoying the produce from the share we purchased in a local farm.  For my family, I think this is a good start.  But start is the operative word here...there's so much more we can and should do.

The campers -- all of them -- did a great job, channeling their energy and enthusism for learning into actionable proposals.  In the process, they reminded me how important it is to live what we believe, to invest our minds in helping the world and making sure our actions follow suit.

Thank you, iTEAMS campers, for the reminder.  And congratulations on a terrific week.  I hope to see some of you on campus at GSSM in a few years.